Andy Reed – the former MP for Loughborough – has been assigned to lead the review into the role played by County Sports Partnerships (CSP) as called for in the government’s sport strategy.
The review will look at the roles and functions of CSPs in a changing political landscape of devolved local government and increasingly insight-led sports provision.
Reed, who has chaired his local Leicestershire and Rutland Sport CSP since 2004, said the review “comes at an important time”, and that he intends to approach the process “with an open mind”.
“The government’s
Sporting Future strategy and Sport England’s strategy means things are changing and the landscape around CSPs has changed since they were first established,” he told
Sports Management. “This review is a look at what CSP will and can do in the future and what they will look like.”
Although the government initially set an autumn deadline for the review to be completed, Reed is likely to report to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) with his findings by the end of May.
“I am looking forward to hearing from all sectors about CSP’s future,” he added. “I will be setting out a framework and a proper consultation process over the next week so we can get started as soon as possible.”
CSPs are made up of local agencies working together to increase participation in sport and physical activity. Partners within CSPs can include national governing bodies of sport, clubs, school sport, local authorities, sport and leisure facilities, primary care trusts and physical activity networks.
Contracted by Sport England to underpin local delivery, CSPs work towards participation targets set for the quango and national governing bodies.
Within its
Sporting Future strategy published last December, the government said that CSPs “play an important role” in promoting sport and physical activity. It added that as local government evolves, it needs to “think about how best to get local organisations to work together to deliver the priorities in their areas so that local people can get the most value from sport”.
